Tell The Bartender - A Storytelling Podcast (Storytelling)

In this Episode: 

After taking mushrooms before a comedy show and ending up barefoot in "Tetanus City™" while on the phone with his soon to be ex, Calvin knew something was happening to him emotionally. And that's only the beginning. Calvin shares what helped him during this time, all while making The Bartender laugh/cry.

Plus, a Survivor season 1 spoiler.


In this very special episode, The Bartender and her sister Caroline deconstruct one of the greatest albums from their childhood, (and really, in the entire world,) Cabbage Patch Dreams. They go through song by song and celebrate at the end by performing the crucial duet from Side 2. Difficult harmonies are attempted. Past sibling rivalry is discussed, and healing begins.

Then Michael John Improta carries the theme of childhood trauma and joy by talking about things he feared as a kid. Namely, his prank-playing stepfather.

Direct download: 115_2.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 7:33pm EDT

In this Episode:

Rod and Karen met in elementary school, have been together since they were 16 and married in 2002. They talk about their teenage courtship, and Rod has a story about something serious that happened at his high school. (CN: Discussion of sexual assault). Then The Bartender talks with Ash, whose relatives go back generations in the cigar business. She talks about her family, and then gives a masterclass in all things cigars.

Direct download: Episode_114__Smoking_Hot_Love_And_The_Love_Of_Smoking.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 12:14pm EDT

Forest Ray was an Army medic in Iraq at the beginning of the war. He talks with The Bartender about the people he met there, cultural similarities and differences, how he felt about leaving, and his thoughts about what's happening currently in Afghanistan with the US troop withdrawal. They also briefly unpack their feelings about Jeff Bezos's penis rocket.

Direct download: Episode_113__The_Friends_We_Made_Along_The_Way.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 12:40pm EDT

Have you ever exacted revenge on a bad person, but maybe didn't know how to do it right? Our anonymous guest walks us through a vengeance story that probably should have been handled by experienced tire-slashers, but it was handled nonetheless. PLUS a beautiful song and tribute to DMX from Katharine's elementary school friend Keefe Crawford with The FreeStylists .

CN/TW There is a part of the episode where we discuss sexual assault.

Direct download: Episode_112_2.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 1:00am EDT

In this Episode:

Molly Knefel shares a never before told story involving very serious health problems she encountered while receiving IVF treatment. Then Hilary Asare tells The Bartender about her horrible experience with a certain diet company who shall not be named (kidding, it's totally named). Plus, pandemic adventures!

(CN for discussion of IVF and and assisted reproductive technology, and talk of weight and diet programs)

Direct download: Episode_111__Being_Your_Own_Advocate_-_Health_Adventures_Edition.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 12:01pm EDT

In this Episode: 

The Bitchy Waiter makes a triumphant return to talk about being a server during COVID, customers and vaccines (oh my), and Kyra Sims joins The Bartender to tell a story about several first times... in one night.


In this Episode: 

When Susie's daughter started having violent outbursts after their second child was born, the family was told it was just sibling rivalry. It was not. She shares the story of her family's journey over the past decade to find help for her daughter. Then this year, COVID-19 made things even trickier.

Direct download: Episode_108__Not_Home_For_The_Holidays_4.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

In this Episode: 

Chemda and Keith, co-hosts of the Keith and The Girl podcast, were guests on this show years ago. A lot has changed. Chemda "spills the tea" about her recent divorce and why the relationship of 9 years ended, then Keith talks about a story UNFOLDING AS WE SPEAK about his dad, who recently emailed his ex wife. With her permission, Keith is now responding via email as his ex and is learning, well, a lot about his father. 

Direct download: Episode_86_69__Catfish_in_the_Cradle.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 9:05am EDT

In this Episode: 

Jason, a musician and writer from Ontario, Canada, got sick and ended up in the hospital. He came out of a coma to find he had lost the use of his body. Jason talks about his path, being in a wheelchair, and how humor is always ok. Then Laura shares her story about taking risks, ignoring naysayers, and compares notes with The Bartender about being a fellow empath.

Direct download: Episode_106__Its_Harder_To_Give_Up.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 4:42pm EDT

In this Episode: 

Callie and her boyfriend were offered to take free professional couples photos, but they broke up the day before the shoot. So when life gave her lemons, she made pizza.

Then T joins The Bartender to talk about acting, their temporary stint as a Jehovah's Witness, and... vampires.

Direct download: Episode_105__Pizza_and_Photos_and_Vampires_oh_my_1.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 3:32pm EDT

In this Episode: 

When he was in his early 20's, David soon realized that being a writer in LA was a lot harder than he thought. But everything changed one day when he walked into a vintage record store.

CN: this conversation has talk of depression and suicidal ideation

About The Guest:

David Nadelberg is a writer, producer, host, and all around a lovely person. He is the creator of Mortified, a storytelling show where people share embarrassing letters, notes and poems things they wrote as kids. His six episode docuseries, The Mortified Guide, is now available on Netflix.

Direct download: Episode_104__For_The_Record_Store.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 12:20pm EDT

In this Episode: 

Derek Rosenfeld and Tommy McDonald from the The Drug Policy Alliance join The Bartender to talk about various obstacles they've experienced working to end the war on drugs. Derek recounts one bizarre tactic to deter a peaceful protest that involved dead fish, (not to be confused with his favorite band Phish), and Tommy recalls celebrating one of the proudest accomplishment of his career during one of the worst nights of his life.

PLUS Katharine shares audio of a beautiful speech her sister gave while accepting an award on behalf of her law firm's pro-bono work for helping abused women and children! UNFORTUNATELY the audio also caught a sexist remark from a nearby attendant/colleague about her sister's personal appearance as she took the stage to share an emotional story about their abusive father. So Katharine ends the episode with her feelings about that.


In this Episode: 

Ever wonder what it’s like to understudy four roles in a national tour of a Tony award winning Broadway show? Performer Rob Neill joins The Bartender to talk about his touring adventures with Peter and the Starcatcher, why art is more than just a career, what Tom Hanks is like in the event of an emergency, and then accidentally reveals that he babysat for someone very special (to Katharine).

Direct download: Episode_102__Rob_and_the_Concept_of_Star_Stature.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 3:18am EDT

In this Episode: 

Nessa Norich, awesome person and fellow New York Neo-Futurist, joins The Bartender to talk about ancestral trauma, how to move forward when there's a familial elephant in the room, and smashing the f@#k out of patriarchy. Then she sings a beautiful song she wrote. 

Direct download: Episode_101__Revoking_Your_Ancestral_Contract.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 9:17am EDT

In this Episode: 

What do you get for the man who had everything? Kevin Iso and Dan Perlman from the hit web series Flatbush Misdemeanors join The Bartender to talk about creating content, working with kids, and the time they bought comedian Kevin Hart a gift that maybe wasn't the best idea at the time.

Direct download: Episode_100__Dollar_Store_Baby_Booties.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 7:12pm EDT

In this Episode: 

Vanessa Potter woke up one morning and found herself blind and unable to walk. Hear her talk about recovery, facing fear, and hearing colors. YES, HEARING COLORS. Then Melissa Divaris Thompson shares a story about giving birth to her first child, and the lack of “industry of support” around pregnancy and parenthood.

Direct download: Episode_99__A_New_Perspective_brought_to_you_by_Visual_Snow.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 11:43am EDT

In this Episode: 

Dasha, who was born and raised in Russia, recently moved to America after years of living in South Korea. She talks to The Bartender about navigating different cultures, the impact of YouTube on Russian politics, and why she thought Putin was an ok guy until a few months ago. 

 

Direct download: Episode_98__Dasha_From_Russia.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 10:32am EDT

In this Episode: 

Maggie's brother, who has Asperger's Syndrome, ended up in solitary confinement while in jail after an incident at his group home. She opens up about the complicated and flawed legal system in America, and how it often fails people with special needs. Then The Bartender shares some thoughts about Charlottesville, allyship, and the importance of listening and learning. PLUS a listener shout-out, and a sneak peak into next month's episode.

Direct download: Episode_97__The_Healthcare_Prison_Industrial_Complex.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

In this Episode: 

When Lynne went out on an audition for print work, she didn't expect the callback to happen so soon, except it was possibly neither an audition nor a callback. Then Betsy shares her experience working with an actor who did more than cross a few lines (and dance classes).

Direct download: Episode_96__Youre_Beautiful.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 6:30pm EDT

Writer/Performer/Awesome Person Shelton Pritchard Lindsay talks about the power of performance, and its role in facilitating conversations, reaching across political party lines and uniting the entire world. Sometimes. 

Then, Katharine plays a very special audio clip from a very special person (her boyfriend)'s recent graduation speech about being an artist in a capitalist society.


In this Episode: 

When Annie was training as a birth doula, she had very strong emotional reactions to some births, which made her look into her own. She talks with The Bartender about how the way we come into this world matters.

Oh, and she also tells a story about the time she, for her job, mediated a fight between roommates over a thermostat.

And huge thanks to The Black Guy Who Tips Podcast! Listen to them!

Like the show? Tip The Bartender! Or give it 5 stars!

Direct download: Episode_94__Your_Birth_Day_1.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 11:32am EDT

In this Episode: 

The Bartender talks to Jen Glantz who is a "Bridesmaid for Hire", and has SO MANY QUESTIONS. Then Nancy Halpern shares some of her adventures from when she spent 5 days in Burma, alone, in her 20s. We then bring it back to American politics, the current Muslim "It's-not-a-ban-but-it-is-a-ban" Ban, and the impact of people traveling outside of their comfort zones.

Like the show? Tip The Bartender! Or give it 5 stars!

Direct download: Episode_93__Sometimes_A_Bridesmaid_And_Traveling_Worldwide.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

In this Episode:

The Bartender sits down with Idelisse Malavé and Joanne Sandler, the creators and co-hosts of the hit podcast, Two Old Bitches. The two talk about the evolution of their bitchery, the liberation that comes with running out of f$%ks, and how they accidentally became models for pee proof underwear.

Direct download: Episode_92__Two_and_a_Half_Old_Bitches_1.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 9:09pm EDT

In this Episode:

The Bartender shares some of her thoughts post election. Then, comedian Jes Tom talks about finding humor in times of despair, the best way to handle misgendering someone, and the time their grandmother got revenge against a school bully at the tender age of 8 after getting out of a Japanese internment camp.

Like the show? Tip The Bartender! Or give it 5 stars!

Direct download: Episode_91__The_Future_of_Regular_Degular_Comedy.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 4:29pm EDT

In this Episode:

Melani, a single mother at age 41, found love in a hopeless place (an airport hotel in Pittsburgh). After 5 wonderful years with this man, she talks about moving forward after he passed away. Then we hear from Will whose father abandoned his family on Christmas Day when he was 16. He's trying to repair the relationship, and writing a show about it in the process. It involves a nuclear power plant and Brazil, not necessarily in that order.

Direct download: Episode_90__Second_or_Third_Fourth_Fifth_Chances.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 8:27pm EDT

In this Episode:

Jen and Alli spend a lot of time on the internet procuring content for their show, but what happens when they meet the face behind the avatar? They talk about lessons learned from strangers on Craigslist, explain what a "Splenda Daddy" is, and expound on Mpregs, Semenology, and women in comedy. You know, the usual. 

Direct download: Episode_89__I..._Did_Not_Know_That.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 9:36pm EDT

In this Episode:

(TW: Rape, Abuse)

When Julie was sexually assaulted by the head of a prominent animal rights organization, she learned the limitations of her own rights in the "progressive" community. And then we hear from Tod, who saved a three legged dog and named it named Piggy. But who really saved who?

Direct download: Episode_87__Service_Dogs___Brogressives_2.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 2:33pm EDT

In this Episode:

Families can be full of drama! From getting a phone call that your grandmother assaulted someone at the nursing home, to hatching several unrealistic plans to run away from your parents, there is still that special something that keeps kin together. In this very special episode, we hear stories about forgetfulness, fights, and forgiveness. Plus Katharine's (almost) 5 year old nephew joins us at the end to provide riveting commentary. He has a lot to say about lobsters.

Direct download: Episode_86__Family_AMIRITE__.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 5:59pm EDT

Jillian knew at a young age that she was obsessed with spankings. When she finally found a person who shared her fetish, her eyes were opened up to a whole new world. Unfortunately, someone else was watching.

Direct download: Episode_85__Rear_Window.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 3:31pm EDT

In this Episode:

Andrea was hired by a human rights organization for a short job in India. The work was very fulfilling. She tells us what happened when the job became a little too fulfilling.

Direct download: Episode_84__Monsoon_Season.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 3:43pm EDT

In this Episode:

High school is hard enough, but what do you do when a gym teacher threatens to expose a secret? Mary faced that challenge, and managed to fight it with a new found superpower. We then hear from Brandon who, on a whim, took a trip to Peru that had him facing some serious fears. Let's just say he may or may have not eaten a rat.

Direct download: Building_a_Backbone.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 5:12pm EDT

In this Episode:

As someone who has spent most of her life fighting for the rights of others, Mallika Dutt has her share of stories. First, we hear about how she skillfully handled the “casting couch culture” during production of a music video about women’s rights. Then she talks about a recently unearthed traumatic childhood memory that helped her understand her own personal obstacles. Oh, and Mallika makes The Bartender cry when she explains how the power of storytelling can change the world.

Direct download: Episode_82__The_Big_Breakthrough.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 10:18am EDT

Wali, a very safe driver, was recently hired by a trucking company. During his month on the road with a trainer, he learned a lot more than how to make wide turns. PLUS The Bartender has a “New Awesome Podcast” alert – check out The Podcast of Color!

Direct download: Episode_81__Trucker_Tales.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 1:08pm EDT

In this Episode:

When Marc was a teenager, his mother received a call that would change their lives. His father, a New York City policeman, was shot. Hear the touching story about how he learned about his dad's superpower. 

Direct download: Episode_80__Superman.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 1:27pm EDT

In this Episode:

The Bartender was recently approached by a band of Gypsies. Yes, a rock band of brothers who are Gypsies. In this very special episode, we hear about what it was like growing up, what it means to be a Gypsy, and how their band, The MXT, came to be. And then one of the brothers makes The Bartender cry with a moving and inspirational story. Hide your babies... KIDDING! They don't steal babies. But gather your hankies.

Then, The Bartender shares a short story about her encounter with a shitstain of a human garbage monster right before the interview.

Direct download: Tell_The_Bartender_Finding_Your_Voice.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 5:10pm EDT

In this Episode:

Liz was asked to watch a pair of very expensive Bengal cats for a week. Three months later, they were still in her home, and the owner was suspiciously jet-setting the world with her new boyfriend. Or was she? Liz accidentally embarked on a quest for said owner, a journey that involved Tijuana, background checks, monitored phone lines and meth.

Then Earl, a musician (and The Bartender's "prom date"), talks about the time he accidentally broke a young fan's heart. He had a really good reason.

PLUS hear The Bartender's attempt at commercial writing!

Direct download: TellTheBartenderEpisode78CoolCats.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 10:21am EDT

Due to popular demand, here is the Serial parody The Bartender made with her talented friends!

Every year we get together to celebrate the Scottish tradition of Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns. There is haggis, scotch, tartan, scotch, poems, scotch and toasts. This year Forest Ray was given the task to tell the “Immortal Memory” which revolves around a very naughty poem by Burns. So he wrote a spoof of the popular and awesome NPR podcast Serial.

Direct download: Episode_74__Return_To_Burns_Night.mp3
Category:Storytelling -- posted at: 1:56pm EDT

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